VIAVI SmartID Plus and SmartID Advanced Coax Probes for Home Coax Network Testing

SmartID Plus and SmartID are advanced coax probes from VIAVI for testing subscriber home coax wiring. Working together with a VIAVI DSAM Digital Service Activation Meter, the probes test the entire home coax network in a single test that typically takes less than two minutes, with the technician's meter acting as the user interface for operation and reporting.

The SmartID test mode is a standard feature in DSAM XT firmware (v 4.0 and higher). It displays and certifies subscriber coax topology and identifies and locates physical-layer impairments affecting triple-play and multiroom DVR (MoCA) services. Connected components such as splitters, filters and house amplifiers are shown, along with unexpected reflections and distances to potential faults.

With a probe placed at each outlet, set-top box, eMTA and cable modem, a technician can verify that each coax path from the point of entry to the subscriber equipment, and between set-top boxes, can carry the planned services. Point-to-point verification between SmartID Plus and SmartID or ActiveID devices tests continuity, frequency response and ingress, and with SmartID the distance can be displayed from both directions to improve location accuracy.

Each probe generates signals and measures across a 5 to 1,650 MHz range. When testing the MoCA frequency range, the DSAM reports a MoCA Quality Index (MQI) from 1 (low) to 10 (high) indicating estimated throughput, and presents a quality matrix that highlights outlets with impaired transmission performance. Probes are supplied in kits sized for complete RF transmission characterization of most home networks.